BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The European markets ended Friday's session with another loss, extending its recent losing streak to five days. Bank stocks were under pressure following a weak report from Germany's Deutsche Bank. The continued rise in global bond yields also pressured the equity markets.
The strong US jobs report for January also cemented the belief among investors that the Federal Reserve is likely to hike rates at its March meeting.
Employment in the U.S. jumped by more than anticipated in the month of January, according to a closely watched report released by the Labor Department on Friday. The report said non-farm payroll employment surged up by 200,000 jobs in January after climbing by an upwardly revised 160,000 jobs in December.
Economists had expected employment to increase by about 180,000 jobs compared to the addition of 148,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.
The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index weakened by 1.37 percent. The Euro Stoxx 50 index of eurozone bluechip stocks decreased 1.51 percent, while the Stoxx Europe 50 index, which includes some major U.K. companies, lost 1.20 percent.
The DAX of Germany dropped 1.68 percent and the CAC 40 of France fell 1.64 percent. The FTSE 100 of the U.K. declined 0.63 percent and the SMI of Switzerland finished lower by 0.76 percent.
In Frankfurt, Deutsche Bank dropped 5.85 percent after the bank posted a net loss of 2.2 billion euros ($2.75 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2017, hurt by lower trading revenues and one-off charges.
In London, telecom giant BT Group tumbled 3.14 percent after reporting a drop in quarterly revenue and earnings.
Capita climbed 3.36 percent on bargain hunting after tumbling to a 20-year low on Thursday.
Troubled doorstep lender Provident Financial rallied 7.28 percent after naming a new CEO.
AstraZeneca rose 3.15 percent after it reported a fall in 2017 revenues on lower product sales.
Cobham dropped 6.17 percent. The aerospace and defense supplier has agreed to divest its test and measurement businesses to a U.S. buyer.
Caixa Bank fell 2.98 percent in Madrid on disappointing quarterly results.
Eurozone producer price inflation eased at a faster-than-expected pace in December, data from Eurostat showed Friday. Producer prices climbed 2.2 percent year-over-year in December, slower than the 2.8 percent rise in November. Economists had expected the inflation to ease to 2.3 percent.
British construction activity expanded at the slowest pace in four months in January, survey results from IHS Markit showed Friday. The IHS Markit/Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply construction Purchasing Managers' Index fell more-than-expected to 50.2 in January from 52.2 in December. It was expected to fall to 52.0.
Revised data released by the University of Michigan on Friday showed only a slight deterioration in U.S. consumer sentiment in the month of January. The report said the consumer sentiment index for January was upwardly revised to 95.7 from the preliminary reading of 94.4. Economists had expected the index to be upwardly revised to 95.0.
After reporting a bigger than expected jump in new orders for U.S. manufactured goods in the previous month, the Commerce Department released a report on Friday showing factory orders once again increased by more than expected in December.
The Commerce Department said factory orders surged up by 1.7 percent in December, matching the upwardly revised jump seen in November. Economists had expected factory orders to climb by 1.5 percent compared to the 1.3 percent increase originally reported for the previous month.
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